When visitors are deciding whether to buy from you, hire you or trust your advice, many of them click “About.” They want to know who’s behind the business, whether you’re credible and whether you’re the kind of company they want to work with.
Yet many About pages are an afterthought: a vague mission statement, a list of buzzwords and a stock photo of people shaking hands. That’s a missed opportunity. A well-written About page can build more trust than almost any other page on your site.
What Visitors Want to Know
People visiting your About page are usually trying to answer a few questions:
- Who runs this business?
- Why should I trust them?
- What do they stand for?
- Are they right for someone like me?
- How can I contact them?
Your page should answer these clearly and honestly.
Start With Your Customer, Not Yourself
It sounds counterintuitive, but the best About pages often start by showing they understand the customer’s problem. For example:
“Running a small bakery means early mornings, tight margins and no time to figure out complicated software. We know, because we started out baking bread ourselves.”
This immediately tells the right visitors, “You’re in the right place.”
Tell Your Story
Your origin story helps people connect with your business. Keep it focused:
- Why you started: the problem you saw or experienced
- What you did about it: how the business began
- Where you are now: what you offer today
Keep it relevant. Visitors don’t need your entire life story, just the parts that explain why your business exists and why you care.
Show the People Behind the Business
Trust grows when people can see real humans:
- Real photos of founders and team members
- Short bios with relevant experience
- A personal note or quote from the founder
For solo businesses, a friendly photo and a few personal details can make a big difference. People like buying from people.
Back Up Your Claims
Words like “high-quality,” “trusted” and “expert” mean little on their own. Support them with specifics:
- Years in business or experience
- Number of customers served, if true and meaningful
- Certifications, qualifications or awards
- Notable clients (with permission)
- Genuine testimonials
Only include claims you can stand behind. Inflated or invented credentials damage trust quickly if discovered.
Share Your Values in Action
Instead of listing abstract values like “integrity” and “innovation,” show how they influence your decisions:
- Weak: “We value sustainability.”
- Stronger: “We ship every order in recycled packaging and offset delivery emissions through a verified programme.”
Concrete actions are more convincing than value statements.
Write in a Human Voice
Your About page should sound like your business at its best: warm, clear and genuine. Avoid corporate jargon:
- Instead of “We leverage cutting-edge solutions to deliver synergistic outcomes,” try “We build simple tools that save small teams time.”
- Instead of “Our customer-centric approach,” describe what you actually do for customers.
Read your page aloud. If it sounds like something no real person would say, rewrite it. If you’re struggling to find a natural phrasing for a stiff paragraph, a paraphraser with tone options can show you a few friendlier alternatives to adapt in your own words.
Make It Easy to Take the Next Step
After building trust, guide visitors toward action:
- A link to your products or services
- A contact form or email address
- A newsletter signup
- A booking link for consultations
Don’t make interested visitors hunt for what to do next.
Include Practical Details
Depending on your business, include:
- Location and service areas
- Business hours
- Contact information
- Social media links
- Company registration details, where relevant
These details signal legitimacy, especially for newer businesses. A visitor who can’t find a real address, phone number or name behind a website often assumes the worst, even when the business is perfectly genuine. Making these details easy to find removes that doubt before it starts.
A Simple About Page Structure
- Headline: a clear statement of what you do and for whom
- Customer connection: show you understand their problem
- Your story: why and how the business started
- The people: photos and short bios
- Proof: experience, results and testimonials
- Values in action: what you do differently
- Next step: a clear call to action
Keep It Updated
Businesses evolve. Update your About page when your team, offerings or milestones change. An outdated About page, with former employees or old services, can undermine trust.
Proofread Carefully
Your About page represents your business’s credibility. Typos and grammar errors here are especially noticeable. Read it aloud, ask someone else to review it and run a final grammar check before publishing.
The Bottom Line
An About page isn’t really about you. It’s about helping visitors decide whether to trust you. Be specific, be honest, show real people and make the next step easy. Do that, and your About page becomes one of your most effective sales tools.
